Dubliner Rob Doyle has struck gold with his debut novel as his book has been snapped up by the publisher of the Harry Potter series.

Mr Doyle (31), from Crumlin, spent four years writing his book, Here Are The Young Men, and after it was published last month by Lilliput it was snapped up six weeks later by Bloomsbury.

"It all came about so rapidly. There were rave reviews and suddenly there was a buzz about it.

"It's easy for a debut novel to sink without a trace but the UK publishers contacted Marianne Gunn O'Connor (super agent to authors like Cecelia Ahern) and Bloomsbury were adamant they wanted to get it," he said.

Having learned of the "very good deal," a week ago, Mr Doyle went off on his pre-booked holiday, which he joked, he "can now afford".

The English teacher's luck is set to continue as the novel looks like it will now be turned into a major movie too.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas author, John Boyne, has made a number of public endorsements of the new novel.

"He loved the book, he just bought it and read it," said Mr Doyle.

The novel is set on the streets of Dublin where three school-leavers turn to drugs trying to avoid a reality they despise.

dream

The author has spent the last number of years in London and America, but after numerous "positive rejections" from publishers he decided to return home to Dublin.

"I was punch drunk with rejections," admitted the author.

"It was a difficult time. There's a happy ending in my mind. It's a dream come true, but it was really tough. However, I would tell any aspiring writer to persevere."

The book will be published by Bloomsbury in September and number two is already written.